Method and arrangement for arranging an information service to determine nutrition and/or medication

ABSTRACT

A healthcare system for personalized healthcare includes a user interface for gathering user related data of nutrition or medicaments consumed by the user, and genetic information of the user. The system also includes a research interface for gathering genetic backgrounds of different illnesses in relation to nutrition or environmental factors, and a health care practitioner interface for gathering user related data of user&#39;s health state, personalized treatment or history data. The system provides recommendations of optimal personalized nutrition or medication for the user to reach the optimal nutritive, metabolic and/or health state based on: data of nutrition or medicaments consumed by the user, genetic information of the user, genetic backgrounds of different illnesses in relation to nutrition or environmental factors, user&#39;s health state, and personalized treatment or history data of the user. The recommendations are then delivered to the user or health care practitioners via corresponding interfaces.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a method and arrangement for arrangingan information service to determine nutrition and/or medication. Morespecifically, the invention relates to the formation of informationrelated to the suitability of nutrients and/or medical substances fordifferent parties and to the transmission of information betweendifferent parties and systems.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

In the past decades, the average life expectancy of human beings hasgrown considerably because of the advanced medical methods of treatment.At the same time, new diseases and illnesses have come out, such asdifferent kinds of allergies, especially to foodstuffs. In addition,obesity has become common especially in developed countries, in whichthe daily motion of humans has continuously decreased, for example, dueto work performed by humans becoming lighter and due to automation. Atthe same time, humans' eating habits have changed, for example, asso-called fast-food restaurants have become more common. Althoughspecific special foodstuffs and health foods are now in good supply,nevertheless, the major part of humans eats in an unhealthy orunsuitable way, for example, in relation to the energy consumption,illness or latent illness, and they do not think about the nutrientscontained in the nutrition they consume or their effects on theirhealth. The significance of nutrients contained in the nutritionfrequently consumed, for example, in the generation and progress ofillnesses is not even realised, and staying healthy is consideredobvious.

However, the consumed nutrition plays an important role in thegeneration and progress of almost all illnesses. Especially for personsfollowing a special diet, such as weight-watchers, allergic persons,diabetics, and persons suffering from other illnesses, sportsmen andpersons otherwise taking care of their health, the additives andnutrients contained in the nutrition and medicaments, and their amountsand/or proportions are especially important for the optimal result, forstaying healthy and/or for preventing the worsening of an illness.However, it has to be noted that also healthy persons should watch thequality, amounts and proportions of nutrients contained in the nutritionthey consume in order to stay healthy, fit for work and vital.

However, monitoring the nutrients contained in the consumed nutrition isoften considered difficult or laborious, and it is only thought to berelevant mostly for persons following a special diet for one reason oranother. In some cases, it may also be difficult for people to monitorthe nutrient contents in the consumed food and/or drink or othersubstances contained in foods, which may, for example, cause illnessesor make allergies worse. For example, people may have difficulties inremembering or generally in knowing all nutrients harmful for them inthe foodstuffs, in which case, for example when shopping, it may bedifficult to know the suitability of a certain product. Especially, ifone thinks of the overall effect of nutrients acquired in one day oreven one week, it is almost impossible to find out the suitability,goodness and/or effect of a certain foodstuff in relation to the overalleffect of nutrients obtained in one day or one week.

Solutions for informing the user of nutrients contained in the nutritionare previously known, for example, from the publications U.S. Pat. No.6,024,281 and U.S. Pat. No. 6,038,546. In the solution of thepublication U.S. Pat. No. 6,024,281, personal nutrient information isformed to the user with the help of information fed by the user andidentifying the food product and with the help of the user's personaldata, using a special nutrient information system. Again, in thesolution of the publication U.S. Pat. No. 6,038,546, the portionsoffered by a restaurant are prepared of one or several standardised foodarticles or components according to the meal order of the customer, inwhich case the meal will comprise a standardised or modified amount offood components, and the list of nutrients in the portion can bedelivered to the customer.

Different computer programs and data terminal equipment are furtherknown for monitoring the supply of nutrients of a person, for example,during dieting or weight watching. For example, the publication U.S.Pat. No. 5,412,564 discloses a solution, in which the nutritionconsumption of a consumer can be monitored and information concerningnutrition consumption can be recorded. The publication U.S. Pat. No.5,233,520 again discloses a solution for an interactive, computerisedmeasuring apparatus of nutrition, which can be used for measuring thefood, nutrients and other food components consumed by a person.

However, arrangements according to the known solutions contain somedrawbacks. The solutions are typically intended mainly for monitoringcertain nutrients in the foodstuffs, and they have been realised mainlyby directly comparing, for example, the nutrients contained in a certainfood or component with information fed by the user, such as identifierinformation of substances causing allergy, in which case, if thementioned food or component contains a nutrient unsuitable for theparticular user, the system according to the solution informs the userof this. However, the arrangements according to the solutions do nottake into account, for example, the user's genetic genotype and thespecial requirements caused by this to the nutrient contents, additives,nutrients and/or their proportions in the user's diet.

Further, the systems according to known solutions are clumsy, due to theinflexibility of their user interfaces. The systems of the knownsolutions are typically arranged to be used, for example, in connectionof special nutrition information systems in a shop, in which thearrangement comprises information on the nutrition content of theproducts that are sold in the shop in question. In a second knownsolution, the user can search information on nutrients using his homecomputer, for example, from a database to be supplied on a CD ROM disc.However, the user interfaces of the known solutions restrict the user'smoving, in which case situations may often occur in which it is notpossible to unambiguously check the nutrients in a certain foodstuffand/or the suitability of these nutrients for the so-called user. Inaddition, in the arrangements of the known solutions, it is difficult tocontrol or keep up-to-date the amounts and proportions of all nutrientsconsumed by the user, due to the place-bound arrangements according tothe known solutions.

In the state-of-the-art solutions, it is further difficult for themedical personnel treating the user to monitor the supply of nutrientsand/or medicaments consumed by the user. In addition, thestate-of-the-art solutions have not presented an effectively workingsolution, in which doctors, nurses or the user would be offered apossibility to easily change, for example, the list of substancesharmful for the user in the nutrition information system. The problem ofthe state-of-the-art solutions is that the arrangements are rigid andinflexible, for example, in a situation, in which the user suddenly getsallergy, and the database of foods suitable or unsuitable for the usershould be updated fast.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The object of the invention is to provide a healthcare system forpersonalized healthcare and arranging a nutrition and medicationinformation service so that the said drawbacks of the state-of-the-arttechnology can be reduced. The invention aims to solve how the user caneasily check the suitability of amounts and/or proportions of nutrientscontained in a foodstuff and/or medicament, taking into account theuser's possible illnesses, special diets, environmental conditions andgenotype, and the medical and biological research information available.It is further the object of the invention to create a solution, withwhich an individualised and optimal nutrition and metabolic conditionand a possible medication can be tailored to the user, taking intoaccount the user's genotype, possible illnesses and environmentalconditions.

The object of the invention can be achieved by the features ofindependent claims. The objects of the invention may also be achieved sothat information obtained about the user's genetic properties, possibleillnesses, environmental conditions and/or consumed nutrition and/ormedicaments are analysed in relation to information obtained frommedical and biological researches for determining nutrition and/ormedication optimal for the user. In addition, the objects of theinvention are achieved so that the suitability of the nutrients in thesubstances to be consumed are determined in relation to theindividualised nutrition suitable for the user, at least partly with thehelp of the nutrition and medication information system utilisinglearning neurofuzzy systems and methods. The objects of the inventionare further achieved so that the mobility of the user and the of systemis made possible by arranging at least part of the nutrition andmedicament information system of the invention in a mobilised way.

The invention relates to a healthcare system for personalizedhealthcare, as well as to a non-transitory computer readable medium.

The method for arranging the nutrition and/or medication informationservice of the invention is characterised in that it comprises the stepsof

-   -   creating a database arrangement, which comprises at least one        probability weighting coefficient for at least one gene        influencing at least one health property with a certain        probability, and at least one probability weighting coefficient        for at least one nutrient and/or medical substance influencing        at least one health property in a healing or harmful way with a        certain probability,    -   delivering information related to the user to the said database        arrangement,    -   comparing at least one gene from the user's genetic map with the        genetic map information of the database arrangement, and        selecting the probability weighting coefficient between the said        gene, which is both in the genetic map of the user and in the        database arrangement, and at least one health property, which        the said gene influences, and further    -   selecting the probability weighting coefficient between the said        health property and at least one nutrient and/or medicament,        which influences the said health property either in a healing or        harmful manner with a certain probability, and    -   forming information describing the suitability of the said        nutrient and/or medical substance for the said user with the        help of the said probability weighting coefficients.

The arrangement of the invention for arranging the nutrition and/ormedication information service is characterised in that the system

-   -   comprises a database arrangement, which comprises at least one        probability weighting coefficient for at least one gene        influencing at least one health property with a certain        probability, and at least one probability weighting coefficient        for at least one nutrition and/or medical substance influencing        at least one health property in a healing or harmful manner with        a certain probability,    -   comprises means for delivering information related to the user        to the said database arrangement,    -   is arranged to compare at least one gene from the user's genetic        map with the genetic map information of the database arrangement        and to select the probability weighting coefficient between the        said gene, which gene is both in the user's genetic map and the        database arrangement, and at least one health property, which        the said gene influences, and further    -   is arranged to select the probability weighting coefficient        between the said health property and at least one nutrition        and/or medical substance influencing the said health property        either in a healing or harmful manner with a certain        probability, and    -   is arranged to form the information describing the suitability        of the said nutrient and/or medical substance for the said user        with the help of the said probability weighting coefficients.

It is characteristic of the software product of the invention forarranging the nutrition and/or medication information service that thesoftware product

-   -   comprises a database arrangement, which comprises at least one        probability weighting coefficient for at least one gene        influencing at least one health property with a certain        probability, and at least one probability weighting coefficient        for at least one nutrient and/or medical substance influencing        at least one health property in a healing or harmful manner with        a certain probability,    -   comprises means for delivering the information related to the        user to the said database arrangement,    -   is arranged to compare at least one gene from the user's genetic        map with the genetic map information of the database        arrangement, and to select the probability weighting coefficient        between the said gene, which gene is both in the user's genetic        map and in the database arrangement, and at least one health        property, which the said gene influences, and further    -   is arranged to select the probability weighting coefficient        between the said health property and at least one nutrient        and/or medical substance, which influences the said health        property either in a healing or harmful manner with a certain        probability, and    -   is arranged to form the information describing the suitability        of the said nutrient and/or medical substance for the said user        with the help of the said probability weighting coefficients.

Some advantageous embodiments of the invention are disclosed in thedependent claims.

Compared with the state-of-the-art solutions, considerable advantagesare achieved with the help of the present invention. The method of theinvention makes possible the mobility of the user and the fast and easyuse of the invention irrespective of time and place. The method of theinvention also makes possible to utilise the newest medical andbiological research information and to use the information disclosingthe user's genetic properties, possible illnesses and nutrientlimitations caused by these, when determining the individualisednutrition and/or medication suitable for the user and/or whendetermining the suitability of nutrients in a certain food for the user.For example, the amounts of components contained in the user's dailydose of nutrition and/or medicament and possible adverse effects to theuser's health or other effects, for example, to a certain illness, suchas hypertension and allergies, can be assessed with the help of theinvention. With the invention, it is also possible to determine themedication possibly needed by the user.

The amounts, quality and proportions of nutrients in a daily or possiblya longerterm dose of nutrition and/or medicament and the possibleadverse effects can advantageously be assessed taking exactly intoaccount the quality and amount of nutrients and/or medical substancesconsumed by the user within a certain time. In addition, the inventioncan be used for observing the proportions of different nutrients and/ormedical substances consumed and their effect for achieving the optimalnutrition and metabolic state and as optimal medication as possible tobe tailored for the user.

In addition, the user and/or the medical personnel treating the user canobserve the user's eating habits, the amounts and proportions ofadditives, nutrients and other respective substances acquired daily, andalso the deficiencies of some substances in real time. With the help ofthe invention, the medical personnel or some other authorised quartercan also determine nutrition information concerning the user and/or someother general nutrition information to the system in real time, in whichcase the system can immediately take into account the changes made.Further, the invention also makes it possible for restaurants to atleast partly monitor the nutrient amounts acquired by the user. With thehelp of the invention, restaurant personnel can also be easilyinstructed in preparing the food portion of the user or a customer usingthe invention so that the composition of the food portion is optimal inrelation to the user's metabolic state, energy consumption, geneticbackground, illnesses or latent illnesses, allergies and likings.

With the help of the invention, the medical personnel can also fast andeasily find out about the user's possible nutrient and/or medicalsubstance limitations, for example, when planning and realising themedication intended for the user. It is still possible with theinvention to prepare the food portions to be made for the user tocorrespond to the individualised dose of nutrition identified for theuser, for example, by adding some nutrient components identified by thenutrition information service to the food portions to be eaten by theuser.

With the help of the invention, also the producers of substances andquarters responsible for the logistics and merchants can be deliveredinformation, among others, on the effects of the use of certainpesticides and the amount of the pesticides used on foodstuffs treatedwith the pesticides, and also on the consumption and demand of somenutrients, foodstuffs and/or medical substances. The invention alsomakes it possible for the producers of foodstuffs to feed to thenutrient system of the invention information at least partly, forexample, on the quality, type and quantity of fertilizers used by them,and on other matters relating to the health properties of the foodstuff,such as environmental conditions. Further, the invention makes itpossible for the manufacturers of pesticides and preservatives to feedto the nutrient system of the invention information at least partly, forexample, on substances in the pesticides and preservatives produced bythem, such as components causing cancer, and on their quantities in thepesticide and/or preservative in question. In addition, also themanufacturers of medical substances can supply the system of theinvention with information related to medical substances, such asinformation on effective agents, their amounts and effects.

The invention especially offers the user a possibility to get real-timefeedback of the suitability of the food and/or medical substance bought,ordered, consumed or intended to be consumed by the user, taking intoaccount his health and metabolic state, genetic background andstructure, genotype, functional state of the genes, illnesses,previously consumed nutrition and/or medicament, and essentialscientific research information, because especially in the past years,the medical and genetic researches have more and more often found aconnection between a certain illness and a certain gene. Scientificresearch information can, for example, be gathered from medicalarticles, and information processed into a form to be understood by thedatabase arrangement of the invention. As raw data, the medical researchinformation can be the following, for example:

-   -   genetic variations of beta1 and alpha2C adrenergic receptors can        together have an influence on the increased risk to fall ill        with heart disease. This two-locus genotype requires specific        treatment with alpha2 adrenergic receptor antagonist or beta        adrenergic receptor antagonist or both (NEJM, 2002; 347;        1135-1142, is shown),    -   people with the genotype of methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase        (MTHFR), which is a genetic change leading to high homocysteine        levels, have a 16 percent higher risk to fall ill with        cardiovascular disease than people without this genetic change.        The risk is especially high, if the genetic change is connected        to low folate levels. Thus, increasing the folate level with the        help of a diet is advantageous for people with the MTHRF        genotype (JAMA, 2002; 288; 2023-2031),    -   it has been presented that the polymorphism of the angiotensin        gene and angiotensin convertase gene increases the risk to fall        ill with hypertension and cardiovascular disease. In the        publication N. Engl. J. Med. 2002; 347; 1916-23, it has been        expressed that polymorphism in the connexin 37 gene in men and        in the I gene of the type of plasminogene activator inhibitor        and in the stromelycin-1 gene in women is connected with the        increased risk to get a cardiac infarct (J. Hum. Hypertens 2002;        16(11):789-93), and    -   it is presented that mutations in the DARD15 gene are connected        to the generation of inflammatoric bowel infection (Am. J. Hum.        Genet. 2002; 70:845-857).

According to an embodiment of the invention, the user can also beoffered a prescription service, in which case the invention can suggestthe user a nutrient, a food portion containing a nutrient and/ormedication for achieving the nutritive and metabolic state optimal forthe user. With the help of the method and system of the invention, theuser can especially be suggested optimal medication, taking into accountat least one illness of the user and at least one piece of geneticinformation.

Among others, the following concepts are used in this patentapplication:

-   -   “User” is any individual or group of individuals, which can use        the information system of the invention, and the information        concerning the state of health and genetic background of which        considered sufficient for the system can be delivered to the        system, and the nutrition information of the product consumed or        ordered or intended to be consumed by which can be delivered to        the system for identifying the nutrition optimal for the user.        In addition, user is any individual or group of individuals, to        which identified optimal nutrition information can be delivered        with the help of the nutrition information system of the        invention. The user can be a human being or an animal or a        larger entity formed of these, for example, a sports team        engaging in a certain sport.    -   “Reference information” is information concerning a reference        group, such as information representing relations between        health, illnesses and eating habits characteristic of the said        group; for example, information that a certain reference group        has a 75 percent probability to become exposed to a certain        illness. The reference group can, for example, be a tribe, race        or nationality, or some population group, sports group, or        profession or illness, for example, hypertension. The smallest        element in a reference group can be an individual.    -   “Nutrient and/or medical substance” is a nutrient significant        for the relation between medication and/or nutrition and an        illness. A nutrient can typically be, for example, a        water-soluble or lipo-soluble vitamin, protein, micro-nutrient,        carbohydrate, amino acid, unsaturated or saturated fat, mineral,        soluble or insoluble fibre, flavonoid, other phospholipid or        phenolic substance or plant estrogen. In this connection,        nutrient can also be understood to comprise harmful substances,        such as environmental estrogens. Further, in this application,        nutrient can also be understood to be especially a medical        substance. Nutrient can also be water.    -   “Nutrition information” is information representing the        nutritive contents of a foodstuff and/or medical substance or        food product and/or its suitability for a user.    -   “Foodstuff”, food product, product or food is any nutrient or        product fit or unfit to be consumed, such as a food portion,        drink or medicament, or a combination of these, which can        comprise at least one nutrient and/or medical substance. For        example, foodstuff can be a fish and, more specifically, a pike.        In this application, foodstuff can also comprise hygienic        products, such as washing agents and chemicals, for example,        shampoos, make-ups and suntan creams, to which the user can be        exposed, for example, through skin contact. In addition,        foodstuff can also be a medicament, such as a blood pressure        medicament.    -   “Intake limit” is an intake limit comprising the upper and lower        limit, defined for a certain nutrient and/or medical substance;        for example, with salt, the daily intake limit can be 1-5 g. The        intake limit is also typically connected with time limit, within        which the nutrient and/or medical substance related to the        intake limit should be obtained in an amount which is within the        area defined by the lower and upper limits of the intake limit.    -   “Health property” is a psycho-physical state, such as an        illness. The health property can also comprise information, for        example, about the user's energy consumption and need.    -   “Scientific research information” is information obtained from        scientific researches, such as biological, medical and        psychological researches. In this application, scientific        research information especially refers to information about        genetics, properties determined by genes, functionality of        genes, and connections between different foodstuffs and        illnesses, obtained in biological and medical researches. In its        minimum, scientific research information comprises information        about the genetic backgrounds of different illnesses in relation        to nutrition and environmental factors and the effective        substances in at least one medicament. Most preferably, in the        arrangement of the invention, the said scientific research        information is in a processed form so that, for example, a        certain probability has been formed between different genes and        illnesses, to which the said gene exposes, with which the said        gene causes the said illness.

BRIEF DISCUSSION OF THE DRAWINGS

In the next section, advantageous embodiments of the invention areexplained in more detail, referring to the enclosed drawings, in which

FIG. 1 is a flowchart of an exemplary method for creating a database inaccordance with the present invention,

FIG. 2 is a flowchart of an exemplary method for gathering informationrelated to the user in accordance with the present invention,

FIG. 3 is a flowchart of an exemplary method for gathering informationrelated to foods consumed by the user in accordance with the presentinvention,

FIG. 4a is a schematic view of an exemplary database arrangement forstoring and arranging information in accordance with the presentinvention,

FIG. 4b is a flowchart of an exemplary method for forming individualisedmedication and/or nutritive recommendation in accordance with anembodiment of the invention,

FIG. 4c is a flowchart of an exemplary method for generatingindividualised nutrition information in accordance with the presentinvention,

FIG. 5a presents an exemplary user interface of the FPC programme forgathering information about the food products consumed by the user inaccordance with the present invention,

FIG. 5b presents an exemplary user interface of the FPC programme forgathering information about the user's energy consumption andoperational environment in accordance with the present invention,

FIG. 6 is a block diagram of an exemplary system for generatingindividualised nutrition information in accordance with the presentinvention, and

FIG. 7 is a block diagram of an exemplary system for updating the user'snutrition information and for generating individualised nutritioninformation in accordance with the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

FIG. 1 is a flowchart of an exemplary method 100 for creating a databasein accordance with the present invention, in which method informationneeded by the information service of the invention is gathered fromdifferent sources for generating the individualised nutrition andmedical information intended for the user. The method of the inventionadvantageously utilises scientific research information, such asresearch information obtained from medical and biological researches,which it can gather in step 102. The scientific research informationgathered in step 102 can comprise, for example, information about theconnections between different illnesses and substances, such asmicrobes, prions, listeria, salmonella, mould, mercurt′, lead, nitrates,nitrites, additives, pesticides, antibiotics, salt, coffee, alcohol,cholesterol, mutagens in the drinking water, radiation, sugar, refinedfood and excessive or too small amount of energy, deficiency ofnutrients and protective agents, and oxygen radicals.

Scientific research information can also comprise information, forexample, about the effects of water-soluble and lipo-soluble vitamins,proteins, micro-nutrients, carbohydrates, amino acids, saturated andunsaturated fats, minerals, soluble and non-soluble fibres, flavonoids,other phospholipids and phenolic agents, plant estrogens andenvironmental estrogens on the health properties of a human being orsome other living organism. Most preferably, the scientific researchinformation comprises information about the genetic backgrounds ofdifferent illnesses in relation to nutrition and environmental factors.In the system of the invention, such information can be reported, forexample, in numerical form as probabilities, with what probability anagent causes a certain illness and with what probability a certainnutrient and/or medical substance protects from a certain illness. Inaddition, the system can contain certain intake limits for substances sothat the probability, with which the said substance causes a certainillness, is dependent on the amount of the substance consumed and isespecially high, if the amount of the substance consumed within acertain period, for example in a day or a week, exceeds or is below theintake limit for the said substance. The intake limits can beindividualised, and they can, for example, be of the format: NaCl (tablesalt): 1-5 grams a day.

The scientific research information gathered in step 102, such asmedical and biological information can, for example, be informationabout what illnesses and/or symptoms certain substances probably causeeither to all human beings or, for example, to some groups of humanbeings, such as tribes, races or even families or individuals. Forexample, information gathered in step 102 can comprise information thatobesity and western nutrition cause diabetes, cholesterol and salt causecardiac and vascular disease and osteoporosis, western nutrition causesallergies and asthma, environmental estrogens and western nutritioncause hormone-dependent cancers, carcinogens cause cancer of the colon,fibres protect from the cancer of the colon, and that some infectionscause a certain type of rheumatism.

However, it has to be noted that the disclosed example is very broad andthat, with the help of the invention, the connections between theconsumed nutrition and an illness in relation to the genotype of anindividual or a group of human beings can be assessed in a considerablymore sophisticated and exact way, and further, the joint effect ofseveral different nutrients and the environment and at least one gene ofan individual can be taken into consideration, in which case it is notnecessarily possible to draw direct conclusions, in which, for example,salt would necessarily cause cardiac and vascular disease and infectionrheumatism. Information can be fed to the system especially in aprocessed form and so that the said probabilities are characteristic ofa certain individual or group. Part of the probabilities can especiallybe general truths and part characteristic of an individual.

In addition, the scientific research information to be gathered in step102 can comprise, for example, information reported and researched bythe manufacturers of pesticides and additives or other respectivesubstances about the pesticides and additives manufactured by them; forexample, information about what substances the pesticide and additivemanufactured by the producer in question contains, and in what amounts.The information gathered in step 102 can also be obtained fromliterature or any databank understood by one skilled in the art.

In step 104, nutrition information related with foodstuffs isadvantageously gathered. For example, nutrition information can beobtained directly from the producers of foods or foodstuffs, qualitycontrol organs, and merchants, but also from databanks. The nutritioninformation to be gathered in step 104 advantageously comprisesinformation about substances in foods and foodstuffs, such as microbes,prions, listeria, salmonella, mould, mercury, lead, other heavy metalsand harmful substances, nitrates, nitrites, additives, pesticides,insecticides, environmental poisons, antibiotics, salt, coffee, alcohol,cholesterol, mutagens, radiation, sugar, amount of energy, nutrients,protective agents, oxygen radicals, water-soluble and lipo-solublevitamins, proteins, micro-nutrients, carbohydrates, amino acids,saturated and unsaturated fats, minerals, soluble and insoluble fibres,flavonoids, other phospholipids and phenolic substances, plant estrogensand environmental estrogens.

Nutrition information can also comprise information about environmentalconditions of the food or foodstuff in question, such as in whattemperature and moisture the product has been grown, preserved andtransported and information about how long the product has been in eachstate. Nutrition information can also comprise information about thegeographical place of cultivation of the said food or foodstuff, itssoil bacteria or other soil information, in which case information aboutsubstances harmful to the health or other properties possibly containedin the soil and that have possibly come out in the soil researches ofthe area in question can be combined with information about thefoodstuff. Nutrition information can also comprise information about howmuch and what kinds of pesticides and/or preservatives have been used inthe growing and/or manufacture of the said foodstuff.

The database of the invention also comprises information related to theuser, which is gathered in step 106. Information related to the user canbe, for example, information about the user's age, gender, weight,length, genetic background and structure, genotype (DNA), functionalstate of genes, tribe, group, nationality, illnesses, allergies, mentalstate, medication, living environment, working environment, type ofwork, family relations, individual history, and work and sportsperformance. Information concerning the user can also be a value orinformation about the fat percentage, blood pressure, blood sugar,hemoglobin and/or cholesterol.

Preferably information related to the user is a sufficient piece ofinformation about the user's genetics, functionality of genes and/orphysiological characteristics, on the basis of which the user'snutritive and medical basic needs can be determined. With the help ofinformation related to the user, also the limitations caused byillnesses can be taken into account and found out for the manufacturingprocess of a food portion to be manufactured to the user, or for thepreparation, planning and realisation of medication intended for theuser. In addition, information related to the user can compriseinformation describing the user's likings and dislikings, andinformation describing the user's hobbies and energy consumption both atwork and in free time. In this case, an optimal food portion can beplanned for the user with the help of the information service of theinvention, for example, a tablet, capsule, pressed piece, powder, greasemixture, oil, ice cube, or food or drink mixture, taking into accountthe information of the reference group and the user. The reference groupcan be, for example, sportsmen, such as swimmers, short and longdistance runners, shooters or golfers.

According to an embodiment of the invention, a dose of nutrition, whichcan also contain some medicament or be dose of medicine, can berealised, for example, with a certain dispenser, which can be intelecommunications connection with an information system of theinvention. In this case, the information system can supply the dispenserwith information about what the dose of nutrition and/or medicament tobe delivered to the user should be, what substances the dose shouldcontain, what substances should not be included in the dose, andfurther, possibly information about how the dose should be manufactured.For example, the dispenser can contain storages and/or containerscomprising components to be mixed to the dose, in which case the dose ofnutrition and/or medicament optimised for the user can be manufacturedautomatically on the basis of feedback from the information system ofthe invention. According to an embodiment of the invention, thedispenser can also comprise at least part of the information unit of theinformation system of the invention.

Information related to the user to be gathered in step 106 can alsocomprise information about the user's diseases of the locomotoricsystem, depression, cardiac disease, hypertension, allergy, asthma,headache, migraine, mental illness, illnesses caused by alcohol,dementia and hormone-dependent cancer, or other illness or disorder.

According to the invention, it is also possible to gather informationconnected with the reference groups in step 108, the informationcomprising, for example, information about what kind of eating habitscertain reference groups have, what kind of nutrients and/or medicalsubstances and/or harmful substances they typically get in the nutritionconsumed, in what kind of environmental conditions they live and/orwork, what is their genetic background, and what illnesses are common inthe said reference group. Such reference groups can be, for example,tribes, races and nationalities, such as PIMA Indians, Japanese,Eskimos, Finns, persons in eastern Finland, East/West Germans, Slays andAustralians. Alternatively, the reference group can also be a referencegroup representing a certain profession group, such as office employee,fireman, forest worker or diver.

In step 110, according to the invention, information can be gatheredthat is related with foods and foodstuffs and/or medical substancesconsumed or intended to be consumed by the user. The information to begathered in step 110 can preferably comprise information, for example,about the quantity and quality of the substance consumed or intended tobe consumed by the user, its age, last selling date or last date of use,nutrition content and information about the substance itself, such asthat the food is a fish, more specifically a pike, or a medicament, morespecifically penicillin. Further, the information can compriseinformation also about the salesman and shop who sold the substance, orrestaurant or producer, and quality control organs, which have possiblyhandled the substance. Still, the information gathered in step 110 cancomprise information also about the possible processing and/ormanufacturing method of the substance, such as a cleaned pike, which hasbeen grilled over a fire.

The information to be gathered in step 110 can also be other informationrelated with the substance, such as information formed by the producerof the substance, or possibly by the quality control organ, whichexamined the substance; the information can comprise, for example,information about agents in the substance, such as microbes, prions,listeria, salmonella, mould, mercury, lead, other heavy metals andharmful agents, nitrates, nitrites, additives, pesticides, insecticides,environmental poisons, antibiotics, salt, coffee, alcohol, cholesterol,mutagens, radiation, sugar, amount of energy, nutrients, protectiveagents, oxygen radicals, water-soluble and lipo-soluble vitamins,proteins, micro-nutrients, carbohydrates, amino acids, saturated andunsaturated fats, minerals, soluble and non-soluble fibres, flavonoids,other phospholipids and phenolic agents, plant estrogens andenvironmental estrogens.

The information gathered in step 110 can also comprise information aboutthe environmental conditions of the said substance, such as food; forexample, in what kind of temperature and moisture the product has beengrown, preserved and transported, and information about how long theproduct has been in each state.

Information delivered in steps 102-110 can most preferably be deliveredto the information system with the help of the program“FoozPuzzle-Communicator” (FPC program). The FPC program makes itpossible to deliver information directly to the information system in anadvantageous document format. The user interface of the FPC program canbe designed especially according to the needs of a single user, producerand quality control organs of the substances, merchant, restaurantpersonnel or medical personnel.

According to an embodiment of the invention, the FPC program can be run,for example, on a general server, in which case the FPC program can beused via a data network, such as Internet or digital television, or withthe help of a mobile station. The user interface of the FPC program canadvantageously be, for example, a form according to the XML and/or XMLderivative languages to be offered in the Internet. According to theinvention, the information system can be supplied with information alsoin some other document format, in which case it can be changed to theXML format or the format of XML derivative languages for furtherprocessing. According to an embodiment of the invention, at least partof the FPC program can be downloaded to the computer of the usersupplying information, to digital television or mobile station, or someother data processing device known by one skilled in the art, such as aPDA device or even a smart card.

Information can be delivered to the system of the invention preferablyin a pre-processed form, for example, in electronic form with the helpof a form according to XML and/or XML derivative languages, oralternatively, information can be processed to a certain form understoodby the system in step 112, for example, manually, or with the help of asystem using fuzzy logic. In the processed form, information can be, forexample, probabilities, with which a gene exposes to a certain illness.Further the system, in which the information is in processed form, cancomprise correlations between different pieces of information so that,for example, the determination of the overall effect of severaldifferent genes, nutrient and/or medical substance on a certain illnesscan be calculated on the basis of the correlations, which can beprobabilities.

The invention does in no way restrict the quality of informationgathered in steps 102-110, but the information can be of any type,however, preferably information relating to nutrition, medicaments, andto the prevention of illnesses or to the prevention of the worsening ofillnesses with the help of these. The information can, for example, beany information come up in scientific researches, any informationrelated to the produced foodstuffs or foods and medical substances, anyinformation related to the user or users or reference groups, or anyinformation related to substances consumed by the user or users, orinformation describing the connections between substances contained innutrients or medical substances or medicaments and different illnesses,especially probabilities that a certain nutrient or medicament effects acertain illness either in a healing or harmful manner with a certainprobability.

Further, it has to be noted that one skilled in the art can form thedatabase according to the invention also when the order of the stepsshown in FIG. 1 is different. In addition, it has to be noted that atleast part of the steps 100-112 can be repeated arbitrary times in themethod.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart of an exemplary method 200 for gatheringinformation related to the user according the present invention. Part ofthe information related to the user can be gathered from the userhimself in step 202. In step 202, the user can deliver information abouthimself, for example, likings and dislikings concerning foods, andinformation about illnesses, energy consumption, working environment,hobbies and family relations, to the information system of theinvention. The information supplied by the user can be any informationreported by the user, which the user can deliver either in numericformat, with the help of a certain code or form, such as a paper form oran electronic form, or alternatively, with the help of freeformat text.An electrical form is preferably according to XML and/or XML derivativelanguages, for example, a form available in the Internet.

The user can deliver his information to the information system, forexample, via the Internet, e-mail, digital television or mobile station,by letter or fax or, according to one embodiment, also by phone. Mostpreferably, the user can deliver the information about the user to begathered in step 102 to the information system with the help of the FPCprogram according to the invention.

More information related to the user can be acquired in step 204 withthe help of the medical personnel possibly treating the user. Themedical personnel treating the user can be given at least partialpermission, for example, with the user's consent, to update informationdescribing the user's physiological and psychological state to theinformation system of the invention. According to an embodiment of theinvention, the medical personnel can update information concerning theuser's illnesses, possible changes in the illnesses and/or the user'smedication to the information system. In addition, in step 204, themedical personnel can also update other information essential for theuser's medication, effective agents and amounts of the medicaments,user's behaviour or other special feature to the information system.

In step 206, laboratory results concerning the user, such as results ofclinical chemistry, can be updated to the information system. Theinformation to be gathered in step 206 can comprise information, forexample, on the user's hemoglobin values, cholesterol values and glucosevalues from a certain time. The laboratory results concerning the usercan be delivered to the information system of the invention, forexample, by the laboratory personnel or the medical personnel handlingthe results or, alternatively, the laboratory results can be deliveredto the information system also from the laboratory measuring equipmentautomatically measuring the values.

Information related to the user's nutrition habits can be gathered instep 208. According to one embodiment of the invention, the informationcan be obtained at least partly from the systems of shops andrestaurants selling foods, foodstuffs and food portions, the systemsbeing able to identify the user and register the composition of the foodor food portion bought and/or consumed by the user, and further deliverthe nutrition information about the food or food portion to theinformation system of the invention together with the user'sidentification data.

Identifying the user can be performed, for example, on the basis of auser ID and password, with the help of information integrated to amagnet card, smart card or barcode, or with the help of any method knownby one skilled in the art. The identification can, for example, beperformed so that the user's data terminal equipment comprises a unit atleast partly in accordance with the invention needed for the formationof individualised nutrition information, information essential for theidentification of the user being integrated to the unit. In this case,the systems of shops, restaurants and/or other organs essential for thenutrition information, and those of the medical personnel and pharmaciescan identify the user by reading the user's information from the user'sdata terminal equipment, such as a smart card or mobile station, forexample, with the help of a method utilising short-range radiotechnology, such as Bluetooth, or an infra-red receiver.

Nutrition information on a nutrient and/or medical substance or foodportion can be delivered to the information system according to theinvention together with the user's identification data, in which case,according to one embodiment, the user can browse the delivered nutritioninformation of the nutrient and/or medical substance or food portion,using his own data terminal equipment, and either separately accept orreject at least part of the information delivered to the informationsystem. In this case, the information accepted by the user can later beutilised upon determining nutrition and/or medical information optimalfor the user, and to destroy information rejected by the user from thesystem.

Further, the information can be delivered to the system of the inventionpreferably in pre-processed format, for example, in electronic form withthe help of a form according to XML and XML derivative languages or,alternatively, the information can be processed to a form understood bythe system, for example, manually or with the help of a system usingfuzzy logic in step 210. In the processed form, the information can, forexample, be information identifying the substance consumed by the user,such as NaCl, and information describing the amount of the consumedsubstance, such as 4.2 g. According to an embodiment, for example,information describing a liking can be a weighting coefficient, such asChinese food 65%, fish food 25%, and grilled food 0%, in which case thesystem can take into account the user's liking with the help of theweighting coefficient.

It has to be noted that one skilled in the art can gather informationrelated to the user also when the order of the steps shown in FIG. 2 isdifferent. Further, it has to be noted that, in the method, at leastpart of the steps 200-210 can be repeated arbitrary times. In addition,the information to be delivered in steps 200-208 can be delivered to theinformation system most preferably with the help of the FPC programaccording to the invention.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart of an exemplary method 300 for gatheringinformation related to nutrients and/or medical substances consumed bythe user in accordance with the invention, in which method the userhimself can deliver information about substances consumed by him to theinformation system of the invention in step 302. The informationdelivered by the user can, for example, be exact information aboutnutrients, amounts and proportions of nutrients contained in afoodstuff, food and/or medicament. Alternatively, information concerninga consumed foodstuff and/or food can, for example, be the following:“300 grams of pike grilled over a fire, slightly spiced with salt”. Inaddition, besides information about a nutrient and/or medical substancedelivered by the user, he can also deliver information relating to thetime of consuming the substance in question.

The user can deliver the information about the foodstuffs, nutrientsand/or medical substances consumed by him in step 302 either innumerical form, with the help of a certain code or form or,alternatively, as free-form text. The user can deliver his informationto the information system, for example, via the Internet, e-mail,digital television and mobile station, by letter or fax or, according toone embodiment, also by phone. Most preferably the user can deliver theinformation to be delivered to the information system in step 302 withthe help of the FPC program according to the invention.

Information related to nutrients consumed by the user can also begathered from the systems of restaurants visited by the user in step304, when the user so wishes. For example, the user can give his owninformation service identifier, in which case the restaurant's systemcan deliver information on the product ordered by the user, such as afood portion or drink, to the information system. The information on theordered product can comprise, for example, information about the name ofthe ordered product, such as pepper sauce and pepper steak (300 grams)made of bovine fillet, 100 grams of French fries, and 0.5 litres of IIIbeer, in which case the information system can search more exactnutrition information concerning the product in question from its owndatabase equipment. Alternatively, the restaurant's system can reportalso more exact nutrition information related to the product, such asenergy, 3,400 kJ; protein, 120 g; fat, 47 g; carbohydrates, 80 g;vitamin B 1, 10 mg; and fatty acid concentrations and distributions, andamounts and concentrations of amino acids. The system of the restaurantcan further deliver information, for example, about the manufacturingmethod of the food portion prepared by it, or other special information,which the databases of the information system do not possibly have. Suchinformation can, for example, be information related to nutrients addedby the restaurant itself.

Information related to foodstuffs, foods, nutrients and/or medicalsubstances bought and consumed by the user can also be gathered from thesystems of the shops visited by the user in step 306, when the user sowishes. For example, the user can give his own information serviceidentifier, in which case, for example, the barcode reader system at thecash counter of the shop can deliver information about the productbought by the user to the information system. According to oneembodiment, the user can also make an agreement with a shop used by him,in which case, as the user shows, for example, his client card to thecashier, information about the foods and medicaments bought by the userare automatically relayed to the information system of the invention sothat, according to one embodiment, the user can still at a later stageapprove or reject at least part of the information delivered to theinformation system, for example, by using his own data terminalequipment. Alternatively, the user can set the system of the inventionat least partly in his data terminal equipment to a state in which theorgan delivering information to the information system can read, besidesthe user's identification information, also the status information ofthe system from the user's data terminal equipment and also deliver thestatus information to the information system, in which case theinformation delivered to the information system can be accepted andanalysed immediately.

In step 308, more exact information delivered to the information systemabout foodstuffs, foods, nutrients and/or medical substances boughtand/or consumed by the user can be, for example, searched from thedatabase of the information system of the invention. This can be done,for example, when not enough information or not at all informationdescribing the product's nutrition information has been delivered to theinformation system. In step 310, the information system can be suppliedwith information related to foodstuffs, foods, nutrients and/or medicalsubstances bought and/or consumed by the user, for example, from theproduct's producers. This can be done, for example, in a situation inwhich the information about a product bought or ordered or consumed bythe user has been delivered to the information system, but however, theinformation system does not contain enough information about thenutrient information of the product in question. Likewise, in step 312,information about products bought and/or consumed by the user can bedelivered, for example, from different quality control organs.

The information can further be delivered to the system according to theinvention preferably in pre-processed format, for example, with the helpof a form according to XML and/or XML derivative languages or,alternatively, in step 314, the information can be processed to a formunderstood by the system, for example, manually or with the help of asystem using fuzzy logic. In the processed form the information can beof the form: energy, 3,400 kJ; protein, 120 g; fat, 47 g; carbohydrates,80 g; and vitamin B 1, 10 mg.

FIG. 4a is a diagram of an exemplary database arrangement 350 forstoring and arranging information essential to the invention. Thedatabase arrangement 350 can advantageously comprise several databasesand sub-database arrangements 352, 354, 355, 356 and 357. Further, thedatabase arrangement can be a distributed database arrangement, in whichcase at least one first part of the database arrangement can be storedby at least one first storage medium and at least one second part of thedatabase arrangement can be stored by at least one second storagemedium. Information can be transmitted between the databasearrangements, for example, by delivering the desired variables asparameters 358, such as at least part of the genetic map of the user,and information about the nutrients and/or medical substances consumedby the user.

Information can be stored to the database arrangement of the inventionmost preferably in a processed, predefined format. For example,information concerning genes can be fed and stored to the databasearrangement on the basis of genetic tests made to an individualpreferably in a processed form as facts, with the help of whichinformation about gene forms exposing to illnesses is expressed. Factsconcerning genetic tests can be expressed, for example, as characterstring combinations: “<gene form/−dot>+<result>”, in which the result iseither positive or negative, or possibly a weighting value, such as anumerical value between −100-+100, describing the weighting value of agene or its significance in relation to an illness.

Alternatively, facts can be expressed in a form, in which theprobability is directly reported, with which the said gene or genotypeexposes to a certain illness, such as the fact that persons with thegenotype of methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR), which is agenetic change leading to high homocysteine levels, have a 16% higherrisk to fall ill with cardiovascular disease than persons, who do nothave this genetic change. The database arrangement can have a crossreference from the MTHFR genotype, among others, to the folate level,because there exists a scientific fact that the risk to fall ill with acardiovascular disease is especially high, if the user's folate level islow, in which case the probability to fall ill with a cardiovasculardisease can be increased by a certain weighting coefficient, if theuser's folate level is below the intake limit for the folate level. Forexample, if the folate level is below 20%, the weighting coefficient canbe 1.8, with which the probability (here 16%) to fall ill with acardiovascular disease is weighted so that the probability can rise, forexample, to 29% (1.8·16%=29%). Taking the weighting into considerationcan also be performed by other mathematical methods besidesmultiplication.

In addition, the said exemplary database arrangement can also have across reference to nutrients and/or medical substances, with whichdeficiency caused by nutrients can be reduced; for example, the saidfolate level can be raised, in which case the information systemaccording to the invention can suggest the said nutrient and/or medicalsubstance to the user, for example, for raising the folate level and forreducing the risk to fall ill with a cardiovascular disease. Nowadays itis well known that raising the folate level, for example, with the helpof a diet is advantageous with persons with the MTHFR genotype.

The facts can alternatively be presented also in some other appropriateway.

Among others, information about analysis results concerning the contentsof the researched raw materials/products generated by the qualitycontrol unit can also be stored to the database arrangement. Theinformation can be presented, for example, as pairs ofsubstance—measurement result, which are stored to the database ascombinations (pairs) of the character string combination and the realnumber presenting the measuring result needed for the identification ofthe product; for example, lingonberry, iron 0.4 g. The database can alsoinclude a section, in which it is told what is the unit of measure ofthe real number presenting each measurement result (e.g. mg/100 g).There can be as many said pairs in the database as there aremeasurements made.

The information generated by the producer can consist of measurementresults of the said type and of information concerning growth conditionsand growth. The latter category is presented in the database typicallyas a combination of the character string needed for the identificationof the product, the fields determining the location and other conditionsof growth (as character strings), and the field specifying calendarinformation (defining the date: date-month-year, and when required, thetime: hours/minutes). Further, also information about transports isstored to the database in an appropriate way. A certain probability orweighting coefficient between the said information and differentillnesses, with which the condition defined by the said piece ofinformation or some other parameter exposes to the said illness orprotects from the said illness, can be arranged to the database of theinvention.

Also information concerning the user's likings and restrictions can bestored to the database arrangement 350. Information describing likingscan be stored to the database, for example, as a set of characterstrings, each of which specifies a single liking, such as “sun-driedtomato a′la Beato” and “onion”, or a category of likings, such as“Chinese”. Along with every character string, also information about thedirection and extent of the liking can be stored, for example, by codingit as an integral number between −100 . . . +100, in which −100describes total disliking, 0 neutral, and +100 total liking,respectively. Information concerning foodstuff restrictions can bestored to the database, for example, as a set of character strings, eachof which specifies the category of a single foodstuff category, such as“gluten”, “milk protein” or “E407” (additive, in this examplecarrageen).

According to one embodiment of the invention, scientific informationdescribing the relations between different illnesses and foodstuffsand/or forms of genes can be fed and stored to the database arrangement350 by gathering it from scientific publications, for example, in a formof rules, in which the condition part of the rule (can consist of one orseveral separate conditions) and the inference part are given. Aprobability value (for example, between −100 . . . +100 or,alternatively, exposure risk increased by 16%) and, according to oneembodiment, also the weighting coefficient, such as p=1.8, can beconnected to each rule. The said scientific information typicallyconsists of (1) the effect of nutrition on morbidity (positive andnegative effects; protective and exposing effects), (2) the effect ofmedicaments on morbidity (positive and negative effects; protective andexposing effects), (3) the effects of genes on morbidity (positive andnegative effects; protective and exposing effects), (4) combinations ofall above-mentioned factors (in the rule part, 0-n conditions from eachsector). The rules are typically of the format: IF condition 1 ANDcondition 2 . . . AND condition N SO illness PROBABILITY X, in which Xcan be a value, for example, between −100 . . . +100. The value −100 canexpress, for example, that as the conditions are fulfilled, the illnesswould be avoided with the probability of 100%, and the value +100 canexpress, for example, that the illness is unavoidable if the saidconditions are fulfilled. Alternatively, the values can also be selectedfrom another set of values, and they can be standardised in an arbitraryway according to methods known to one skilled in the art.

The database arrangement of the invention can advantageously bemultidimensional, so that upon forming a summary of the overall effectof certain nutrients and/or medical substances, also other levels of thedatabase arrangement 350 can be gone through, such as the level 352,which comprises information about the effects of medical substances ondifferent illnesses together with certain genes. With the help of thedatabase arrangement of the invention, it is possible to chart the jointeffect of several factors, for example, in a situation, in which anutrient exposes to an illness with a certain probability, butsimultaneously some other nutrient or a characteristic of some otherlevel, such as the effect of a medicament, influences the said exposurein a protective way.

It especially has to be noted that the database arrangement can haveprimary probabilities, such as the primary probability of 16% that theMTHFR genotype causes cardiovascular disease or that genes X and Ytogether cause the illness Z1 with a probability of 20%. In addition,the database arrangement can have secondary probabilities or weightingcoefficients; for example, an overdose of NaCl increases the risk tofall ill with cardiovascular disease 1.8-fold, if the person has theMTHFR genotype. The primary probabilities are typically caused by genesand they cannot be changed by a diet, nutrition or medication, whenagain secondary probabilities or weighting coefficients are due tonutrients and/or medical substances, environmental factors and likings,and they can be changed.

The management and processing of comprehensive information sets in thedatabase arrangement 350 of the invention can be realised, for example,with the help of the Websom method utilising self-organising maps (SOM).The user's information can be at least partly in a processed form,stored to the memory equipment of the system, in which case the saidpart need not be processed again, unless there have occurred changes inthe said information after the previous processing.

Also nutrition and/or medical information can be delivered with the helpof the database arrangement of the invention. The nutrition and/ormedical information can be produced to an individual in a way, in whichthe building of nutrient recommendations from completed nutrientalternatives is made possible, on the one hand, and in which restrictionconditions, on the other hand, are taken into account, the restrictionconditions consisting of basic information, such as nutrient contents,genetis information and personal information, and of the principles inrule form describing the healthfulness of these combinations presentingscientific information.

According to the invention, two different operation models can bepresented to the user, such as a model, in which the individual choosesthe virtual food plate he wants from the options offered, which optionscan be presented to the user graphically, for example, with the help ofa data terminal equipment of the user. After the user has selected hisvirtual food plate, the information system of the invention checks theaccuracy of the option, for example, in relation to information in thedatabase arrangement 350 and points the deviations and/or directs tobetter options. Alternatively, a prepared food plate can be formed to besuggested to the user, which plate can be compiled of single foodstuffs,taking into consideration the information and intake limits in thedatabase arrangement 350.

Forming the said food plate to be suggested to the user can beperformed, for example, as a series of measures, in which a food plateoption is first asked from the individual, and contents informationconcerning the food plate is gathered from the database arrangement 350.After this, the contents information of the food plate option can becompared with each information category. If there are foundinconsistencies, for example, in the intake limits of the substances, orif the user has such a gene, which together with a certain nutrientcontained in the food plate option exposes the user to an illness with aprobability that exceeds a predetermined limit, such as a probability of5%, for example, the intensity/significance of the inconsistency can bestored to the read-alter storage. After all contents information hasbeen gone through, the most intensive/important inconsistencies andtheir effects on the user's health and/or metabolic state can be foundout, and a replacing nutrient or contents element can be endeavoured tobe found from the database arrangement to replace the nutrient and/orcontents element causing the inconsistency.

When as suitable a dose of nutrition and/or medicament as possible hasbeen formed to the user, the dose can be presented to the user, forexample, through the user's dato terminal equipment with the help of agraphic food plate, the graphic food plate presenting the suitablenutrients and/or medical substances, for example, with the help of asector, which is proportioned to the amount of the substance.Alternatively, the dose or food plate can be presented also as a textversion in plain text, depending on the situation of use.

In the database arrangement 350, the information can be presented, forexample, in rule form (so-called Horn clauses supplemented byprobability values, cf. R. Kowalski, Predicate logic as a programminglanguage. In Proceedings of IFIP 74, pages 569-574, Amsterdam, 1974.North Holland). The inference mechanism needed to form the suitable doseof nutrition and/or medicament or food plate can be realised, forexample, by using the Horn clauses supplemented by probability values.For example, assumption-based inference can be used in the realisationof the inference mechanism (e.g. J. de Kleer. An assumption-based TMS,Journal of Artificial Intelligence. 28. 127-162. 186), likewise themathematical reasons that are the foundation for this (e.g. A. Dempster.Upper and lower probabilities induced by multivalued mapping. Anneals ofMathematical Statistics. 38. 325-339. 1967. G. Shafer. The MathematicalTheory of Evidence. Princeton University Press. 1976). Alternatively,the inference mechanism can also be realised in some other appropriateway.

It especially has to be noted that the database arrangement can containconsiderably more references than in the example of FIG. 4a . Forexample, one gene can influence several different illnesses, likewisealso a nutrient and/or medical substance. In addition, different genestogether can generate a different joint effect than all genes taken intoaccount individually.

FIG. 4b is a flowchart of an exemplary method 370 for forming anindividualised medication and/or nutritive recommendation in accordancewith one embodiment of the invention, in which at least part of theuser's genetic map is compared with the genetic map information of thedatabase arrangement of the invention in step 372. In step 372, it isalso possible to compare some illness with the illness information ofthe database arrangement. At least part of the user's genetic map and/orillness information to be compared can be delivered to the databasearrangement of the invention to be compared with the help of some dataterminal equipment, for example, one mentioned in this application. Instep 374 it is examined if a certain illness has been fed to thedatabase arrangement or, alternatively, if the user has a gene exposingto some illness according to the information of the database arrangementof the invention and if yes, the primary rules related to the connectionbetween the gene and illness are examined from the database arrangementin step 376; for example, rules, with which a gene exposes to a certainillness with some probability, and if the user does not have any illnessor gene exposing to an illness, one can move to step 390 and present theresult or, alternatively, move to step 400 shown in FIG. 4 c.

If primary rules were found in step 376, the primary average iscalculated from the primary rules and/or probabilities in step 378. Forexample, if there are the genes X and Y influencing the same illness Zin an exposing way with the probabilities Tx=10% and Ty=20%, the totaleffect can be calculated from these, for example, by summing andstandardising the sum so that the probability does not exceed 100%. Thesumming operation and standardisation can depend on other connectionsbetween the genes, for example, how the gene X influences the operationof the gene Y. According to one embodiment, the probabilities can besummed directly together if the genes, for example, influence theoperations of each other so that exposure to an illness is veryprobable. Alternatively, some other average can be calculated from theprobabilities. According to yet another embodiment, a probability can bedefined to the joint effect of all genes affecting the illness in someother way, which is not explained in detail in this application, and theresult can be fed to the database arrangement of the invention after thesaid research result has been found. The research result can be, forexample, an empirical research result, such as a result that the gene Xand Y together expose to the illness Z with the probability of 32%,which is recorded as the primary average in step 378. Further, it has tobe noted that the user can have a gene R, which protects from the saidillness with a certain probability Tr, in which case the protectingeffect can be taken into account in the total assessment by reducing theprobability, with which the user is exposed to the said illness.

After the calculation of the primary average or after the step 376 onemoves to step 380, and secondary rules related to the said gene and/orillness are examined from the database arrangement, such as rules, bywhich a nutrient and/or medical substance exposes to an illness orprotects from an illness with a certain probability.

If secondary rules were found, the secondary average is calculated fromthe secondary rules and/or probabilities in step 382. For example, ifthe nutrient A and medical substance B protect from the said illness Zwith the probabilities Ta=15% and Tb=25%, the total effect can becalculated from these, for example, by summing and standardising the sumso that the probability does not exceed 100%. The summing operation andstandardisation can depend on other connections between the nutrientsand/or medical substances; for example, in what way the nutrient Ainfluences the operation of the medicament B. According to oneembodiment, the probabilities can be summed directly together if, forexample, the nutrients and/or medical substances influence the operationof each other so that protecting from the illness is very probable.Alternatively, some other average can be calculated from theprobabilities. According to yet another embodiment, the probability forthe joint effect of all nutrients and/or medical substances influencingthe illness can be determined in some other way, which is not explainedin detail in this application, and the result can be fed to the databasearrangement of the invention after the research result has been found.The research result can be, for example, an empirical research result,such as a result that the nutrient A and medical substance B togetherprotect from the illness Z with the probability of 35%, which isrecorded as the secondary average in step 382. Further, it has to benoted that there may be a nutrient and/or medical substance K used bythe user, which exposes to the said illness with a certain probabilityTk, in which case the exposing effect can be taken into account in thetotal assessment by reducing the probability, with which the user wouldhave a protection against the said illness.

Further, in steps 380 and 382, information on the nutrients and/ormedical substances can be picked from the substances that influence theillness and to create a list of substances, which has as high aprotective effect as possible on the said illness.

In step 384, the final average or probability is calculated from thesolved primary and/or secondary averages for that the user will fall illor get a protection against the said illness. The average or probabilitycan be calculated, for example, by summing the probabilities for theexposure to the illness and for the user getting a protection againstthe said illness, for example, by adding +32% (probability that the userwill be exposed to the illness) and −35% (probability that he will get aprotection against the illness) together and by standardising the resultobtained, for example, so that it does not exceed +100% or be under 0%,in which case the probability for the user to be exposed to the illnesswould be 0%. Alternatively, it could be reported that the user has aprotection with the probability of +3% that he will not be exposed tothe illness. The said final probabilities will naturally only berealised if the user consumes nutrients and/or medical substances, thesecondary rules of which were used when calculating the secondaryaverage, according to the said intake limits for the said substances.

In step 386, bases for the recommendations can be formed on the basis ofthe protective nutrients and/or medical substances related to thesecondary rules by selecting the nutrients and/or medical substances,the information of which was used in the calculation of the secondaryaverage. In step 388, the said nutrients and/or medical substances canbe set to an effective order, for example, so that the substance whichprotectively influences the illness with the second highest probability,is set second, etc. In connection of the said substances, also theintake limit can be given, which can, for example, be individualised fora certain person or be dependent on some gene or illness and further,for example, on age and situation in life, for example, pregnancy. Thefinal result can be presented to the user in step 390, for example, in aform in which the gene X and Y are reported, exposing to the illness Zwith the probability Tz1, and the protective nutrients and/or medicalsubstances A and B, which protect from the illness Z with theprobability Tz2, and further the final probability T to be exposed andget a protection, and a list of nutrients and/or medical substances withamounts, the following of which makes it possible to reach the saidprobability T.

FIG. 4c is a flowchart of an exemplary method 400 for generatingindividualised nutrition information to the user of the informationsystem according to an embodiment of the invention, in which method thenutrition information on the foodstuff or food intended to be consumedby the user can be received and analysed from the information deliveredto the information system in step 402. The delivered information can be,for example, information supplied by the user, a shop or restaurant onthe food product consumed, bought and/or ordered by the user. Theinformation can comprise merely the name of the product or otherinformation identifying the product, for example a code, with the helpof which the information system can identify the said product, forexample, by comparing the code with the information in the databases.The said code can be, for example, a barcode related to the product.

Shop chains, shops and/or restaurants can, for example, have anagreement with the information system of the invention, in which casethe shop chains, shops and/or restaurants can deliver informationrelated to their products to the database of the information system sothat information on a certain product, such as nutrition information,can be found from the database with the code identifying the product.Alternatively, the information system can find out the information ofthe product with the code identifying the product from the databaseequipment of the party that sent the code. The information delivered andto be analysed in step 402 can also be direct nutrition information, forexample, the nutrition contents of the product.

Alternatively, also information delivered earlier can be analysed instep 402 for generating the individualised nutrition information andinstructions, the instructions guiding the user of the informationsystem of the invention to consume nutrition optimal for the user, forexample, for achieving ideal nutritive and/or metabolic state.

The amount and quality of nutrients previously consumed by the user andother information needed in the formation of individualised nutritioninformation can be analysed in step 404. The information on nutrientspreviously consumed can comprise information, for example, from one orseveral days, for example, a week or a month. The information on thenutrients consumed by the user can be found as raw data or, mostpreferably, in a processed form, for example, in a database, to theinformation of which the information system of the invention has access.

In step 406, the user's state of health can be observed, analysed and/orassessed, for example, from the database comprising the user's healthinformation, the information system of the invention having access tothe information. In addition, in step 408, the user's genotype, i.e. theuser's genetic information can be observed; the information can bestored, for example, to a genetic map database, to the information ofwhich the information system of the invention has access. Further,scientific research information can be observed in step 410 at least forthe part which is necessary on the basis of the steps 402-408.Scientific research information can be, for example, information of abiological and/or medical research on the connections between an illnessand nutrient. Scientific research information can be stored, forexample, to a database, to the information of which the informationsystem of the invention has access. The said database can be, forexample, an arrangement according to the database arrangement 350 shownin FIG. 4 a.

For forming the individualised nutrition information, the physiologicaland mental state of the user defined on the basis of the measuresperformed in steps 404-410 and the user's nutritive and metabolic stateare assessed in step 412, and this information is proportioned to theanalysed nutrition information of the nutrition intended to be consumedby the user in step 402. In step 414, the suitability of the nutritionintended to be consumed by the user, reported in step 402, can beassessed according to the assessment made in step 412. If the nutritionintended to be consumed by the user, reported in step 402, is notsuitable or, alternatively, is indeed harmful to the user, warning ofthis is supplied in step 416.

If the nutrition is suitable, it can be assessed in step 418 if thenutrition intended to be consumed by the user, reported in step 402, hasenough necessary nutrients, and if they are found in optimalproportions. If some nutrients should be added to the nutrition intendedto be consumed by the user, information about this can be delivered instep 420. The information to be delivered in step 420 can, for example,be an advice to add more vegetables, such as tomato or celery. If thenutrition intended to be consumed by the user is suitable to beconsumed, information about this can be delivered in step 422.

The information to be delivered in steps 416, 420 and/or 422 can bedelivered, for example, to an address reported by the user, such as theuser's mobile station by an SMS message, to the user's e-mail address,via digital television, to the user's service page in the Internet, orby phone. Information can also be delivered by letter or fax. Warningcan be delivered also to others, who delivered the information in step402, for example, to restaurant personnel or medical personnel. Mostpreferably, the information to be delivered in steps 416, 420 and/or 422is delivered with the help of the FPC user interface of the invention.

In the method 400, the individualised nutrition information can beformed in a similar way as in the method 380, by calculating theprobabilities and/or weighting coefficients representing the suitabilityof different nutrients. It especially has to be noted that in connectionof each piece of information there is at least one probability and/orweighting coefficient and a reference to at least one second piece ofinformation so that at least one probability and/or weightingcoefficient can be used when referring to at least one second piece ofinformation and when assessing the final result.

FIG. 5a shows an exemplary user interface 500 of the FPC program forgathering information about food products consumed by the user, andnutrient and/or medical substance information according to the presentinvention. The user interface 500 shown in FIG. 5a is a typical userinterface intended for the user, but also a user interface to beperformed in the systems of restaurants, shops and medical personnel canat least partly be similar to the user interface 500.

The user interface 500 can be shown and performed, for example, with thehelp of a computer, mobile station or PDA device, digital televisionand/or via the Internet. Alternatively, the user interface 500 can atleast partly be presented also on paper. Most preferably, the userinterface 500 is a user interface operated via the Internet and/or bymobile phone, in which case the user interface can be realised, forexample, with the help of XML or an XML derivative language.

The user interface 500 can comprise the field 502 for defining foodproducts, such as meat, fish and fruits, the field 504 for definingnutrients and/or medical substances, such as energy and proteins, andthe field 506 for defining the amount of a food product, nutrient and/ormedical substance. The user interface 500 can also comprise the field508 for defining the manufacturing method of the defined product, andthe field 510 for defining the time when the defined product wasconsumed.

The field 502 for defining the food products can also comprise asub-menu, in which case the user can define the product in a more exactway. By using the sub-menu, the user can select from the sub-menu, forexample, that the fish defined in the field 502 is pike. Likewise, theother fields 504, 506, 508, 510 of the user interface 500 can compriseat least one particularising sub-menu.

Alternatively, at least part of the fields 502-510 of the user interface500 can be realised in other ways besides sub-menu fields. The fields502-510 can also be fields, to which text can be written in free form;for example “Pike, 300 g”. Also a code defining the desired value forthe parameter defined by the field in question can be written to thefields. The code equivalent to the food product pike can be, forexample, H1, in which case the user can directly write the code “H1”referring to pike to the food product field 502. The code can typicallycomprise letters, numbers and/or special characters.

According to one embodiment the user can also have a barcode tabledescribing the different parameters of the fields 502-510 and a barcodereader so that the user can, for example, activate each field 502-510from the user interface 500 in turn and read the information on the foodproduct, nutrient and/or medical substance, its amount, manufacturingmethod and time from the barcode table using the barcode reader, such asa barcode pen. According to one embodiment, the barcode can also bealternatively read directly from the product. Certain fields of the userinterface can be combined to also relate to several fields in the userinterface; for example, the amount field can be combined both to thefood product field 502 and the nutrient and/or medical substance field504. The user interface 500 of the FPC program can also have selectioncontrollers, such as scroll bars 511 and icons/pictures for selectingthe parameters.

The user interface 500 can also comprise keys for performing thefunctions, such as the “Add” key 512, the “Delete” key 514, the “Change”key 516, the “Cancel” key 518, and the “Send” key 520. The “Add” key 512can be used for adding, for example, several food products to the field502 or the nutrient field 504. The “Delete” key 514 can be used fordeleting parameters already defined from the fields 502-510, and the“Change” key 516 can be used for changing the parameters in the fields502-510. In addition, the “Send” key 520 can be used for sending thefilled-in user interface form 500 to the data server according to theinvention. Alternatively, the “Cancel” key 518 can be used forinterrupting the operation.

The user interface 500 of the invention can also comprise the field 522for writing free-form text to the data server. The user interface canfurther comprise the field 524 for writing the user's user ID and/orpassword so that one can make sure that outsiders cannot change and/orread the information of other users.

Alternatively, the user interface 500 can also at least partly bepresented graphically, for example, with the help of a graphic foodplate, in which case the user can add nutrients and/or medicalsubstances and food products intended to be consumed to the food plateusing a controller, such as a mouse, keyboard or touch screen, forexample, by pressing, pointing or hauling icons and/or picturespresenting nutrients and/or medical substances and food products.

According to one embodiment of the invention, the user interface 500 ofthe FPC program is a learning user interface so that an own profile canadvantageously be made for each user to the user interface. In thiscase, the user interface can learn the food and drink habits andnutritive and medical habits of each user, for example, according to thetimes of day so that the user interface is able to anticipate situationsand suggest to the user certain food products often consumed by him,nutrients and/or medical substances, amounts, manufacturing methodsand/or times. For example, to a user, who eats 250 g of porridge, anegg, two pieces of bread and 2 dl of orange juice each morning andyoghurt, muesli and a banana in the evening, the user interface cansuggest the said food products as default value. Then, the user only hasto accept the suggestion.

However, it has to be noted that the user interface 500 of the inventionfor gathering the user's food product information and nutrient and/ormedical substance information can also comprise considerably more fieldsfor more detailed identification of the information and considerablymore keys or selection controllers for performing different functions.Alternatively, the user interface 500 of the invention can also berealised by using a smaller number of fields, keys and selectioncontrollers than in the embodiment of the user interface shown in FIG.5a . Further, it has to be noted that, in addition to the said fields,the user interface 500 can include a field, to which the optimalnutrition information and instructions for reaching the optimalnutritive and/or metabolic state generated by the information service ofthe invention is returned as default value.

Further, it has to be noted that, according to one embodiment of theinvention, also the optimal nutrient response formed by the informationsystem to the food portion or graphic food plate reported by the userand intended to be consumed can be delivered to the user with the helpof a user interface similar to the user interface 500 shown in theFigure. The response can be at least partly delivered graphically, forexample, with the help of an optimal graphic virtual food plate.

FIG. 5b shows an exemplary user interface of the FPC program 550 forgathering information about the user's energy consumption andenvironmental conditions according to the present invention. The userinterface 550 can be presented and performed, for example, with the helpof a computer, mobile station or PDA device, digital television and/orvia the Internet. Alternatively, the user interface 550 can be at leastpartly presented on paper. Most preferably, the user interface 550 is auser interface to be operated via the Internet and/or with the help of amobile station so that the user interface can be realised, for example,with the help of XML or an XML derivative language.

The user interface 550 typically comprises the field 552 for definingthe physical performance performed by the user, such as walking,jogging, gym and swimming, the field 554 for defining the duration ofthe physical performance performed, for example 1 hour and 30 minutes,and the field 556 for defining the amount of the physical performanceperformed, for example, 7,200 meters. The user interface 550 can alsocomprise the field 558 for defining the level of difficulty of thephysical performance, for example, demanding, average or easy, and thefield 560 for defining the time of the physical performance.

The field 552 for defining physical performance can also comprise asub-menu, in which case the user can define the type of the performancein a more exact way. By using the sub-menu, the user can select from thesub-menu, for example, that the running defined in the field 552 isterrain running. Likewise, also the other fields 554, 556, 558, 560 cancomprise at least one specifying sub-menu.

Alternatively, at least part of the fields 552-560 of the user interface550 can be realised in some other way besides menu fields. The fields552-560 can also be fields, to which text can be written in free form;for example, “Terrain running, 7,200 m”. Also a code defining thedesired value for the parameter defined by the said field can be writtento the fields. The code equivalent to terrain running can be, forexample, Jm, in which case the user can directly write the code “Jm”representing terrain running to the performance field 552. The code cantypically comprise letters, numbers and/or special characters.

According to one embodiment, the user can have a barcode tabledescribing the different parameters of the fields 552-560 and a barcodereader, in which case the user can, for example, activate each field552-560 in turn from the user interface and read the information aboutthe performance, duration, amount, level of difficulty, and time fromthe barcode table using the barcode reader, such as a barcode pen. Theuser interface 550 of the FPC program can also have selectioncontrollers, for example, scroll bars 561, for selecting the parameters.

In addition, the user interface 550 can comprise keys for performing thecommands; for example, the “Add” key 562, the “Delete” key 564, the“Change” key 566, the “Cancel” key 568, and the “Send” key 570. The“Add” key 562 can be used for adding, for example, several performancesto the field 552. The “Delete” key 564 can be used for deletingparameters already defined from the fields 552-560, and the “Change” key566 can be used for changing the parameters in the fields 552-560.Further, the “Send” key 570 can be used for sending the filled-in userinterface form 550 to the data server according to the invention.Alternatively, the “Cancel” key 568 can be used for interrupting theoperation.

The user interface 550 according to the invention can further comprisethe field 572 for writing free-form text to the data server. The userinterface can also include the field 574 for writing the user's user IDand/or password so that one can make sure that outsiders cannot changeand/or read the information of other users.

According to one embodiment of the invention, the user interface 550 ofthe FPC program is a learning user interface, in which case an ownprofile can be advantageously made for each user to the user interface.In this case, the user interface can learn the physical sports habits ofeach user, for example, according to the times of day so that the userinterface is able to anticipate situations and suggest to the usercertain physical performances often performed by the user, theirdurations, amounts, levels of difficulty and/or times of performance.For example, the user interface can suggest to the user, who walks 1.6km each weekday morning, and swims 1000 m every Tuesday and Thursdayevening, the said performances as default value. In this case, the useronly has to accept the suggestion.

Alternatively, the user interface 550 can be at least partly presentedgraphically so that the user can add information describing hisperformances by using a mouse, keyboard or touch screen; for example, bypressing, pointing or hauling icons and/or pictures describing theperformances, their levels of difficulty and duration.

However, it has to be noted that the user interface 550 according to theinvention for gathering information describing the user's energyconsumption and environmental conditions can also comprise aconsiderably higher number of different fields for the more exactidentification of the information about energy consumption orenvironmental conditions and a considerably higher number of differentkeys or selection controllers for performing different functions.Alternatively, the user interface 550 of the invention can be realisedby using a smaller number of fields, keys and selection controllers thanin the embodiment of the user interface shown in FIG. 3502-1041-5 b. Itstill has to be noted that, in addition to the said fields, the userinterface 550 can have a field, to which the optimal nutritioninformation and instructions for reaching the optimal nutritive and/ormetabolic state generated by the information service of the inventionare returned as default value.

Further, it has to be noted that, according to one embodiment of theinvention, the information system can also form suggestions for physicalperformances and to present the optimal physical performance formed byit and the level of difficulty and duration of the performance with thehelp of a user interface similar to the user interface shown in FIG.550. The suggestion can also be delivered graphically, at least in part.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart of an exemplary system 600 for formingindividualised nutrition information in accordance with the presentinvention. The system 600 typically comprises the information unit 602for gathering different types of information needed in the formation ofindividualised nutrition and medical information and for forming theindividualised nutrition and medical information. Most preferably, theinformation unit 602 can be, for example, the server 602 in theInternet, comprising equipment needed in the formation of individualisednutrition and medical information, the information connection to whichserver can also be made via a mobile station. The information unit 602can produce information alternatively also to the transmission networkof digital television.

The information unit 602 typically comprises the database equipment 604for storing the information. The database equipment 604 can comprise,for example, a database arrangement similar to the database arrangement300 shown in FIG. 4a . The information can be, for example, informationconcerning foodstuffs, genetics, biological, medical, analysedbiological and medical research, empirical information, and informationdescribing the user and the user's situation-specified information, andinformation describing the user's environment. In addition, the databaseequipment 604 can contain information referring to reference groups,such as information related to certain tribes or nationalities, andinformation related to their possible illnesses, living environment andfoodstuffs typically consumed by them. The database equipment 604 can beintegrated to the information unit 602 of the information system 600 atleast in part or, alternatively, the database equipment 604 can bespread separately from the information unit 602 so that the informationunit 602 has the data transmission connection 606 to the databaseequipment 604.

The information unit 602 typically comprises also the equipment 608 forgenerating the data transmission connection 606 and 610 with the otherparties, such as the producer 612, the quality control unit 614, themedical personnel unit 615, the scientific research unit 616, the shopsystem 618, and the restaurant system 620. In addition, the informationunit 602 can be arranged to be in data transmission connection 610 withthe user via a data terminal equipment, such as the computer 622, themobile station 624, the PDA device 626 and/or the digital television628.

The information unit 602 can also comprise the equipment 636 foridentifying each party, such as the producer 612, the quality controlunit 614, the medical personnel unit 615, the scientific research unit616, the shop system 618, and the restaurant system 620 so that eachparty 612-620 can deliver information they have formed about differentfood products and their nutrition contents, or substances contained inthe food products, and about possible illnesses caused by certainfoodstuffs and their interrelations.

Information about a food product bought or ordered by the user can bedelivered, for example, from the shop system 618 and/or the restaurantsystem 620 to the information unit 602 of the information system 600automatically in connection of the purchase or order. The identificationinformation of the user, needed by the information system, can bestored, for example, to a magnetic card, in which case the user'smagnetic card can be read in connection of the purchase or order, and inwhich case the information of the food products in the purchase or orderare relayed to the information unit 602 of the information arrangement.Alternatively, the user's individualised user ID can be fed into thesystem of the shop or restaurant, in which case the information of thebought or ordered food product are relayed to the information unit 602of the information system 600.

The parties 612-628 in data transmission connection 610 to theinformation unit 602 can advantageously comprise the equipment 630 forperforming the FPC program according to the information, for sending andupdating the information of the FPC program and for receiving theinformation to a data terminal equipment 612-628 from the informationunit 602. According to one embodiment of the invention, the equipment630 can also comprise at least partly the information unit 602 of theinformation system 600 according to the invention for formingindividualised and/or optimal nutrition information. The informationunit 602 or at least part of the information unit 602 can be downloadedto the data terminal equipment 612-628 of the parties, for example, by aprogram from some information network, or it can be delivered usingmeans intended for data transmission known by one skilled in the art,for example, on CD ROM or DVD disc.

In addition, the information unit 602 typically comprises the memoryequipment 632 and the equipment 634 for processing and analysing theinformation and for forming individualised optimal nutritioninformation. The information unit 602 advantageously uses fuzzy logicfor analysing information in the database equipment and for formingindividualised nutrition information with the help of the analysedinformation. The nutrition unit can handle and process information usingthe equipment 602, 608, 632 and 634, for example, with the help of theWebsom method utilising the self-organising map (SOM) or, alternatively,information can be processed also manually. In addition, the nutritionunit can also define the reference profile of different parties orelements, such as the user's reference profile, with the help of theequipment 602, 608, 632 and 634.

The information unit 602 can further comprise the equipment 634 foridentifying the user, for example, with the help of the user ID andpassword. The user can also be identified with the identifier of theuser's mobile station, such as mobile phone number.

In addition, the information unit 602 typically comprises the equipment638 for delivering the formed individualised nutrition information to atleast one of the following: the producer 612, the quality control unit614, the medical personnel unit 615, the scientific research unit 616,the shop system 618, the restaurant system 620, or some system of theuser, such as the computer 622, the mobile station 624, the PDA device626, and the digital television 628. The individualised optimalinformation can also be delivered by letter or fax and, additionally, bydictating on the phone.

It has to be noted that the information to be stored to the databaseequipment and the data terminal equipment 612-628 of the parties,especially to the mobile stations 624 and 626, can be derivedinformation, which as such does not reveal possibly delicate informationabout the individual, even when uncovered, but it expressly supports theprocess concerning the selection of nutrition and medication. Forexample, the user's mobile station can have information about the user'sgenetic map, such as part of the genetic map, and information related tothe user, such as identifier information (ID).

The data transmission connection 610 used in the system of the inventioncan be any data transmission connection known to one skilled in the art.Especially, the system 600 can be compatible with at least one of thefollowing data transmission specifications: TCP/IP, CDMA, GSM, HSCSD,GPRS, WCDMA, EDGE, Bluetooth, UMTS, Teldesic, Iridium, Inmarsat, WLAN,DIGI-TV, ISDN, xDSL, RPC, HomePna, and imode. In addition, theinformation unit 602 and the data terminal equipment 612-628 of theparties can comprise at least one of the following operating systems forperforming the FPC program of the invention: Unix, MS-windows, EPOC, NT,MSCE, Linux, PalmOS, and GEOS.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart of an exemplary system 700 for updating thenutrition and/or medical substance information of the user and forgenerating individualised nutrition information according to the presentinvention. In the example, the user of the information service of theinvention does business with one party 702, such as in a restaurant,shop, gym or similar and/or at the doctor's. The party 702 can comprisethe equipment 630 for performing the FPC program of the invention, inwhich case the system of the party 702 can identify the user of theinformation service of the invention with the help of his data terminalequipment. The data terminal equipment of the user can be, for example,the mobile station 624, the PDA device 625, or the smart card ormagnetic card 706, the data terminal equipment 624, 626, 706 comprisingthe equipment 630 for performing the FPC program of the invention and/orfor making the identification of the user possible.

According to one embodiment, the user can, for example, visit the shopand/or restaurant 702, in which case, for example, when paying for thepurchase, the equipment 630 of the system 702 of the shop and/orrestaurant identify the user with the help of the equipment 630 in thedata terminal equipment 624, 626, 706. The information of the useressential for the information service of the invention can preferably beintegrated to the equipment 630 of the data terminal equipment 624, 626,706. In this case, the system 702 of the shop and/or restaurant can readthe user's information, for example, via an infrared or radio link, suchas a system utilising the Bluetooth technology 704 from the user's dataterminal equipment 624, 626, 706. After having read the user'sinformation, the system 702 of the shop and/or restaurant can send theinformation about the purchases made by the user to the information unit602 of the information system of the invention. In addition, the system702 of the shop and/or restaurant can also comprise the databaseequipment 708 for storing the nutrition information of the products.

According to one embodiment, the system 700 can have been arranged sothat the information about the user's purchases are delivered to theuser, in which case the user can confirm the purchases he has made. Forexample, the user can delete part of the products, or add someadditional information to the information, or accept the deliveredinformation. The information is preferably delivered to the user's dataterminal equipment, such as mobile station, PDA device, digitaltelevision, or computer, for example, as an SMS message or e-mail.Alternatively, the information can be delivered also the user's servicepage in the Internet.

The party 702 shown in FIG. 7 can also be a unit of medical personnel,in which case, for example, information about the user's health can bedelivered to the information unit 602 of the invention in the waydescribed above. The system 700 of the invention can be arranged so thatthe system 700 uses only the information confirmed by the user whengenerating nutrition and/or medical information optimal for the user.Alternatively, the system 700 can be arranged so that information aboutthe user's health and/or information about purchases made in a shopand/or restaurant are automatically registered to the information unit602 so that they can be immediately used for forming the optimalnutrition information directed to the user.

Only some embodiments of the solution according to the invention havebeen disclosed above. The principle of the invention can naturally bevaried within the scope of the patent claims, for example, for the partof details and areas of use of the realisation. The system canespecially be applied for forming individualised nutrition informationbut, however, the invention is not restricted to this, but the inventioncan also be applied for forming nutrition information of other animals,such as domestic animals and cattle.

In addition, the invention is not restricted to the user of theinformation unit of one information system only, but the datatransmission networks can have several single information systems, whichcan be connected to each other with the help of data transmissionsystems known to one skilled in the art. Further, it has to be notedthat the information system of the invention can at least partly beintegrated to the user's data terminal equipment.

It still has to be noted that, besides optimal nutrition, also optimalmedication can be planned for the user with the help of the invention.According to one embodiment of the invention, with the invention it ispossible to prepare a dose of nutrition and/or medicament optimal forthe user, for example, according to components so that the effect ofnutrients and/or other medical substances on the concentrations,absorption and effect of a medical substance and/or nutrient and/or alsoof some other medical substances and/or nutrients and on the user'smetabolism are taken into account.

In addition, the information arrangement of the invention can givefeedback and at least part of the user's information, such asinformation about allergies, illnesses and likings, for example, to theuser's data terminal equipment in the language selected by the user. Itstill has to be noted that at least part of the system and databasearrangements of the invention can be realised with the help of computersoftware or a software product.

What is claimed is:
 1. A healthcare system for personalized healthcare,the system comprising: a user terminal comprising a user related datagathering unit, which gathers user related data of nutrition ormedicaments consumed by the user, and genetic information of the user inan electric form, the genetic information of the user being informationachieved via a gene test made for the user, a research terminalcomprising a genetic data gathering unit, which gathers geneticbackgrounds of different illnesses in relation to nutrition orenvironmental factors in an electric form, a health care practitionerterminal comprising a health state data gathering unit, which gathersuser related data of user's health state, personalized treatment orhistory data in an electric form, a terminal comprising a nutritionrelated data gathering unit, which gathers user related data ofnutrition consumed by the user from restaurants or shops in an electricform, and an information unit, which is in a data communicationconnection with the terminals and stores said gathered data into adatabase equipment in an electric form, wherein the system comprising ananalyzing device, which provides recommendations of optimal personalizednutrition or medication for the user to reach the optimal nutritive,metabolic or health state based on: the data of nutrition or medicamentsconsumed by the user, and genetic information of the user, the geneticbackgrounds of different illnesses in relation to nutrition orenvironmental factors, the user's health state, personalized treatmentor history data of the user, the data of nutrition consumed by the userfrom restaurants or shops, and a communication device, which deliverssaid recommendations to the user or health care practitioners viacorresponding terminals in an electric form using said datacommunication connection between said information unit and correspondingterminals.
 2. The healthcare system of claim 1, wherein the systemfurther comprises also user or gym terminal for gathering informationrelated to work or sports performance or energy consumption andenvironmental conditions of the user, and wherein the system isconfigured to take also said work or sports performance or energyconsumption and environmental related data into account when providingsaid recommendations.
 3. The healthcare system of claim 2, wherein thesystem is configured to provide recommendations for physicalperformances with level of difficulty or duration of the performance andto deliver said recommendations to the user or medical or gympractitioners.
 4. The healthcare system of claim 1, wherein the userterminal, health care practitioner terminal or gym practitioner terminalcomprises s a field for receiving and presenting said recommendations atleast partly graphically.
 6. The healthcare system of claim 1, whereinthe recommendations to be delivered to the health care practitionerinterface is treatment recommendations.
 7. The healthcare system ofclaim 1, wherein the user terminal comprises a field for definingnutrition or medicaments consumed by the user, and wherein the userterminal is a learning user interface learning the user's habits,nutrition or medicaments consumption, or work or sports performance orenergy consumption habits.
 8. The healthcare system of claim 1, whereinthe system comprises also a dispenser, wherein the system is configuredto deliver to the dispenser said recommendations related to an optimalpersonalized dose of nutrition or medication, whereupon the dispenser isconfigured to offer nutrient or medicaments to the user based on saidrecommendations, the dispenser comprising storages comprising saidnutrition or medication components.
 9. The healthcare system of claim 1,wherein said recommendations are generated by the system at leastpartially with help of neurofuzzy systems or Websom method utilising theself-organising map or machine learning.
 10. The healthcare system ofclaim 1, wherein the system is configured to deliver saidrecommendations to at least one of the following: a producer, a qualitycontrol unit, a medical or health care personnel unit, a scientificresearch unit, a shop system, a restaurant system, or some system of theuser.
 11. The healthcare system of claim 1, wherein the said userterminal is implemented via a computer, mobile station or PDA device,digital television, user's service page in the internet, phone, smartcard, magnet card and/or via the internet.
 12. The healthcare system ofclaim 1, wherein said gathered information or recommendations are storedat least partly in the user's data terminal, information network node orserver, or health care practitioner's device.
 13. A healthcare methodfor personalized healthcare, the method comprising: gathering userrelated data of nutrition or medicaments consumed by the user, andgenetic information of the user via a user terminal, gathering geneticbackgrounds of different illnesses in relation to nutrition orenvironmental factors via a research terminal, gathering user relateddata of user's health state, personalized treatment or history data viaa health care practitioner terminal, and gathering user related data ofnutrition consumed by the user from restaurants or shops via a userrelated data terminal, providing with a processor recommendations ofoptimal personalized nutrition or medication for the user to reach theoptimal nutritive, metabolic or health state based on: the data ofnutrition or medicaments consumed by the user, and genetic informationof the user, the genetic backgrounds of different illnesses in relationto nutrition or environmental factors, the user's health state,personalized treatment or history data of the user, and the user relateddata of nutrition consumed by the user from restaurants or shops,delivering said recommendations to the user or health care practitionersvia a communication device which delivers said recommendations to theuser or health care practitioners via corresponding terminals in anelectric form using said data communication connection between saidinformation unit and corresponding terminals.
 14. The healthcare methodof claim 13, wherein the method comprises also gathering informationrelated to work or sports performance or energy consumption andenvironmental conditions of the user via a user or gym terminal, and theprocessor taking into account also said work or sports performance orenergy consumption and environmental related data when providing saidrecommendations.
 15. The healthcare method of claim 14, wherein themethod comprises the processor providing recommendations for physicalperformances with level of difficulty or duration of the performance anddelivering said recommendations via at least one of said displays to theuser or medical or gym practitioners.
 16. The healthcare method of claim13, wherein the user terminal, health care practitioner terminal or gympractitioner terminal comprises a field for receiving and presentingsaid recommendations at least partly graphically.
 17. The healthcaremethod of claim 13, wherein the recommendations delivered to the healthcare practitioner terminal is treatment recommendations.
 18. Thehealthcare method of claim 13, wherein the user terminal comprises afield for defining nutrition or medicaments consumed by the user, andwherein the user terminal is a learning user terminal configured forlearning the user's habits, nutrition or medicaments consumption, orwork or sports performance or energy consumption habits.
 19. Thehealthcare method of claim 13, wherein the method further comprisesdelivering said recommendations related to an optimal personalized doseof nutrition or medication also to a dispenser, whereupon the dispenseroffers nutrient or medicaments to the user based on saidrecommendations, the dispenser comprising storages comprising saidnutrition or medication components.
 20. A non-transitory computerreadable medium for personalized healthcare, the non-transitory computerreadable medium being configured to: gathering user related data ofnutrition or medicaments consumed by the user, and genetic informationof the user via a user terminal, gathering genetic backgrounds ofdifferent illnesses in relation to nutrition or environmental factorsvia a research terminal, gathering user related data of user's healthstate, personalized treatment or history data via a health carepractitioner terminal, and gathering user related data of nutritionconsumed by the user from restaurants or shops, whereupon thenon-transitory computer readable medium being further configured to:providing recommendations of optimal personalized nutrition ormedication for the user to reach the optimal nutritive, metabolic orhealth state based on: the data of nutrition or medicaments consumed bythe user, and genetic information of the user, the genetic backgroundsof different illnesses in relation to nutrition or environmentalfactors, the user's health state, personalized treatment or history dataof the user, and the user related data of nutrition consumed by the userfrom restaurants or shops, and delivering said recommendations to theuser or health care practitioners via corresponding terminals in anelectric form using said data communication connection between saidinformation unit and corresponding terminals, when said non-transitorycomputer readable medium is run at the server.